The present invention relates to a portable information apparatus having a pressure sensitive tablet, such as a pen computer, and more particular to a computer system having a function of emulating mouse functions of a general-purpose OS (Operating System) on a pressure sensitive tablet.
In recent years, there has been widely used a general-purpose operating system having a GUI (Graphical User Interface) such as a computer system having Windows 95, made by Microsoft Cooperation, mounted. The computer system having such a general-purpose OS mounted supports various kinds of mouse functions in consideration of various usage. In the general mouse, at least a pair of right and left-side buttons are provided. Then, these buttons and a coordinate input portion are combined, so that various kinds of mouse functions can be realized in the general-purpose OS.
As a recent trend, various kinds of portable computer systems having the general-purpose OS mounted have been developed.
In such a portable computer system, it is possible to emulate a drag function of the mouse by a pen-touch operation on the tablet in using an integrated display/input device (transparent typed pressure sensitive tablet) as a user's interface. However, such a pressure sensitive tablet performs no operation other than a tap (touch onto the tablet) as operation and transmission means. Due to this, it is impossible to emulate functions other than the above-mentioned drag function, for example, a mouse cursor moving function for moving only a mouse cursor, and a mouse function such as a short-cut by a right-side mouse button click.
In other words, it is impossible to emulate the moving function for moving the mouse cursor (mouse pointer) and the mouse function, which corresponds to the right-side button click even if the user executes the same function as the case using the mouse having two click buttons.
Conventionally, Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-334293 discloses the techniques for managing of all processes relating to an application such as a display, a discrimination, storage, etc, by using the mouse button in order to emulate the mouse button. However, as mentioned above, it is impossible to emulate functions other than the above-mentioned drag function, for example, the mouse cursor moving function and the mouse function corresponding to the right-side button of the mouse buttons.